Carrier assembly for rotary coupler



sePf- 17, 1963 F. c. KULIEKE ETAL 3,104,017

' CARRIER lAssn/nm RoR ROTARY coUPLER Filed Feb. 2. 1960 United StatesPatent O CARRIER ASSEMBLY FR ROTARY COUPLER Frederick C. Kulieke,Kenneth V. Livelsberger, and

Norman H. Sudeck, Alliance, Ohio, assignors t Amsted IndustriesIncorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 2,1960, Ser. No. 6,199 1 Claim. (Cl. 213-61) This invention relates torailway car couplers and more particularly to couplers mounted forrotation about their longitudinal axes so as to be usable on carsadapted for rotary dumping operations. An example of this type of rotarycoupler mounting can be found in the U.S. Patent No. 2,990,962, issuedJuly 4, 1961, to Karl F. Nystrom.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in a rotary couplermounting arrangement, improved carrier means for rotatably supportingthe coupler shank.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in a lcarrierassembly for a rotary coupler, a detachable saddle member slidablymounted on the carrier iron and adapted to rotatably cradle the couplershank.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from anexamination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, of a railwaycar rotary coupler arrangement embodying the features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section, partly in side elevation of thestructure illustrated in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE l,and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the saddle member illustrated in theother views of the drawings.

It will be understood that certain elements have been omittedintentionally from certain views Where they are illustrated to betteradvantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of theinvention, it will be seen that a rotary coupler and draft geararrangement embodying features of the invention is applied to a railwaycar center sill or draft gear housing, indicated generally at 10, havingan internal Vcavity or draft gear pocket 12.

Formed integrally with, or preferably welded to, the forward end of thecenter sill is a striker casting 14 having an opening 16 extendinglongitudinally therethrough to receive a coupler shank. The details ofthe striker casting will be described hereinafter in the specification.

Disposed within the draft gear pocket 12 is a yoke, indicated generallyat "20, preferably comprising a pair of vertically spaced longitudinallyextending horizontal arms 22 interconnected at their rearward ends by avertically extending transverse wall or abutment 24 and interconnectedat their forward ends by a pair of arcuate vertical side walls 26 whichdefine with the adjacent portions of the arms 22, a cavity or pocket 2S,presenting a generally cylindrical internal surface 30. The forwardextremities of the arms and side walls merge with an annular inwardlyprojecting flange 32 adapted to partly close the forward end of thepocket 28.

A coupler, indicated generally at 34, is shown as comprising a head 36having a shank 38 extending rearwardly therefrom, through thestrikercasting opening 16 and into the pocket 28 of the yoke. As bestseen in FIGURE 3, a medial portion 40 of the shank which is located insubstantial vertical alignment with the striker casting 14 is preferablycylindrical in section, while the rear end 42 of the shank is preferablyrectangular in transverse vertical section and has extending verticallytherethrough a pin hole 44.

Rotatably mounted within yoke pocket 28 is a connecting member or collar46 which presents a generally cylin- 3, l @4,91 7 Patented Sept. 17,1963 drical outer surface 47 engageable with the cylindrical internalsurface 30 of pocket 28. The collar 46 has extending longitudinallytherethrough a generally rectangular opening 48 adapted to receive therear end 42 of the coupler shank. The collar also has extendingvertically therethrough a pin hole 50 adapted for vertical alignmentwith the pin hole 44 of the coupler shank when the latter is disposedwithin the collar so the collar and shank may be pivotallyinterconnected by a pin 52.

Disposed within the yoke 20 between the arms 122 is a draft gear 54which may be of any desired type. The draft gear is positioned betweenthe yoke rear wall 24 and a follower 56 which is interposed between theforward end of the draft gear and the rearward end of the coupler shank,in a conventional manner, for engagement with stop lugs (not shown)presented by the draft gear housing.

The striker casting 14 is shown as comprising spaced side walls 60interconnected at their upper ends by a top wall 62.

Disposed between the lower ends of the side walls 60 of the strikercasting is a generally elongated transversely extending coupler carrieriron 64 which, as best seen in FIGURE 2, is somewhat rectangular intransverse vertical section and which has an opening 66 extendinglongitudinally between the end walls of the carrier, said opening beingreduced in the end walls to form a round hole for bolt 70. The roof `68of the opening `66 is preferably concavely arcuate, as seen in FIGURE 2.

The coupler carrier iron may be connected to the striker casting bymeans of a nut and bolt assembly 7), which extends through aligned holesof the striker legs 60, a best seen in FIGURE 3. The upper portion ofthe carrier iron includes a preferably flat horizontal table or shelf72, as best seen in FIGURE 2, having flanges 74 which extend outwardlyover the main portion of the carrier iron.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, there is mounted on the carrier iron a movablemember or saddle 76 which is provided with a pair of depending arms orflanges 78 having longitudinally extending horizontal grooves 80 adaptedfor receipt of the anges 74 of the carrier iron. Suicient clearance maybe provided between the flanges of the saddle and carrier iron to permitthe saddle to slide back and forth on carrier iron, longitudinallythereof and transversely with the coupler which rests upon upper surface32 of the saddle. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 the upper portion ofsaddle 76 is curved so as to present an upwardly facing concave bearingsurface SZ to rotatably receive and support the cylindrical journalp0rtion 40 of the coupler shank 38. In order to permit the shank toangle horizontally about the vertical axis of the pin 52 the uppercorners, front and rear of the saddle are preferably recessed, as at 84.The radius forming the concaveV surface 82 is also purposely madesomewhat larger than the radius forming cylindrical part of shank 40 toallow for horizontal angling of coupler.

Thus, in operation, it will be 'understood that as the rotatableconnection between the yoke and shank permits the latter to rotate aboutits longitudinal axis, t-he symmetrical contour of the shank receivingrecess in the saddle freely accommodates such rotation. At the sametime, the slidable connection between the saddle and carrier ironpermits the saddle to move back and forth with the coupler shank as thecoupler shank pivots about the pin 52. The upwardly extending lugs 85 ofthe saddle serve to prevent lateral displacement of the coupler shank4t) with respect to concave surface S2 of the saddle if the couplershank raises to top of opening in striker during rotation such as duringdumping operation of the car.

We claim:

In a rotary coupler arrangement for a railway car, the combination of acoupler having a shank with a journal portion which is substantiallycylindrical in cross-section;

draft gear means connecting the coupler shank to the car andaccommodating horizontal pivotal movement of the coupler and rotation ofthe coupler shank about its longitudinal axis; and carrier means on thecar for supporting the coupler shank journal portion, said carrier meansincluding a substantially :horizontal member having a top surface belowthe journal portion of the coupler shank, a saddle member mounted onsaid top surface of said horizontal member for sliding movementlongitudinally of the latter, said saddle member presenting an upwardlyfacing concave arcuate bearing surface for rotatably receiving thecylindrical journal portion of said shank, said concave arcuate bearingsurface being of greater radius than the journal portion of the shank,and lugs upstanding from opposite sides of the saddle member midwaybetween 4 edges of the saddle member considered longitudinally of thecoupler shank, said lugs being engageable with the journal portion ofthe coupler shank to prevent lateral displacement of the shank relativeto the saddle member while enabling limited angular movement of thecoupler shank in a horizontal plane.

References Cited in the lc of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,166,600 Kellogg et al. Jan, 4, 1916 2,240,363 Barrows et al. Apr. 29,1941 2,727,635 Blattner Dec. 20, 1955 2,752,049 Kayler June 26, 19562,850,180 Kayler et al. Sept. 2, 1958 2,990,963 Kulielte July 4, 1961

